Explorer of the Seas Reviews

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This was our first RCCL cruise. Although not our favorite it was a good time. Embarkation was smooth and orderly. We left out of Bayonne and it was very convenient. The buildings and grounds could use some updating, they look old and worn. Staff was friendly. We meet our Room Stewart Daniel right away, very accommodating and friendly. Our baggage arrived rather swiftly which was great because of RCCL's policy of not lending irons we needed to get out clothes out and hung ASAP . Other cruise line we have sailed will allow the steward to bring you an iron to press your clothes with the understanding that they will return within a certain allotted time to retrieve the iron for safety. Unfortunately my husbands suit coats did not make the trip well and needed to be pressed. The good news is that the ship laundry only charged $2.50 per coat, they were returned the next day by 5 pm. We had a Superior Balcony on the 7th floor, it was very nice, clean, roomy. Good size balcony, with a small table and two chairs. The sliding door to go out was very hard to open, the lever was difficult to move to unlock. I can't imagine someone over 70 being able to do it without a struggle. The bed was large pushed together,very little room between the bed and the door to balcony, not the most comfortable unless you like the mattress super firm. I don't . Bathroom was clean, water was VERY hot, could be dangerous. The ship on a whole, though smaller then what we are used to was appealing. Nicely decorated, and clean. We did smell the sewer smell others have complained about in the stairway at the 4th floor and below, but it only was present for a day or so the beginning of the trip. There are only 2 choices for meals, the dining room you are assigned and the buffet. There is also a small cafe on the Royal Promanade to get small sandwiches and snacks. We only ate at the Buffet once or twice as I do not like to have to serve myself then have to hunt for a place to sit on vacation. We ordered room service for coffee and juice in the morning to enjoy on the balcony, as well as breakfast on the mornings in port to avoid added rushing. One morning while in San Juan for an extremely short visit, only in port from 7am to all aboard at 12:30 pm, our food never arrived and we had to run to buffet before getting off ship. Dinners were very rich and heavy, I found all foods to be very salty, lots of capers and lentils were used. Even the supposedly healthy options were salty. Fellow cruisers we spoke to expressed the same concern. Our server Megan and her assistant were attentive and accommodating. We did have a lunch at the Johnny Rockets, for a fee of 4.95 per person for anything and everything on the menu, except for the shakes which were another fee. We had fun, staff sings and dances and food was good, especially the onion rings. Which surprisingly were not salty. Also of note, website states that this nine day cruise only had 2 formal nights, but there were 3, so plan ahead. Most of us were caught off guard, even though for the most part the dress code is relaxed. No beach wear in dining room, but we did occasionally see people in shorts. PORTS: As mentioned before stay in PR was early and short. We did the Bacardi tour on our own, caught the water taxi, 2 piers down from the ship for $1 round trip to Cantana, then the taxi was $3 per person, right to the factory. The tour is free and includes 2 free drinks afterward. The factory opens at 9. We were done with tour by 10:30 and back to gift shop and pavilion where your drinks are served, we visited and enjoyed the breeze for awhile. Taxi's are waiting in parking lot for trip back to water taxi. We were back to pier by 11:45 ( next to ship). The total price per person $7 plus whatever you want to tip your taxi driver. Price charged by cruise line $31. It's up to you. Bermuda we took the water taxi to Hamilton, walked around using the city map and visited the churches on Church street. Had lunch and took the bus back to ship. Very expensive area, high cost of living. Transportation for both ways was not bad, $6 to and from pier. It is confusing though when you get off ship as to where to purchase tickets and where to wait for bus. Ticket agent pointed a few of us in the wrong direction and we were waiting for quite awhile at the wrong bus stop. Ship was in port 8-4, sufficient amount of time. St. Marteen: We walked out of pier and to the right of welcome center there is a taxi stand with set prices. Four of us shared a cab for 4 hrs, the driver took us anywhere we wanted. $45 p person. We first went to Maho bch to watch the 747's land on the shortest runway available to them in the world. Look for videos on YouTube to see why this is a must see. When we were ready he took us to Marigot, then to Grand Case. As Rusty our driver says, we were his boss for the 4 hrs. The cab belongs to him, it was clean and comfortable, he acted as a guide with information and history. Don't be afraid to eat at one of the LoLos in Grand Case, it is part of the experience, try either Talk of the Town or Sky's the Limit, they both come recommended. Johnnycakes are .50 each and very tasty, all meals are inexpensive. Labadee: is RCCL's private island, we were there for the day, luckily from what we hear while no other ships were in port as it gets quite crowded. It was crowded enough with just Explorer guest. Very important hint. Go to the beaches on the same side as the pier!! The beach on the ocean side is extremely rocky. Get off ship early to pick a spot as it does fill quickly. The bay side beaches are smooth. Locals hired by cruise line are eager to help you set up the complimentary chairs and shelters for a tip. Once you get settled jump on one of the trams to get a view of the island, the Artisan Market seemed to have everyone selling the same items which leads me to believe that the products are not handmade but mass produced. BUYER BEWARE! Lunch was a fiasco and not that good. It was to be served between 11:30-1:30, if you chose not to flock early and wait in ridiculously long lines, you would find they were out of and not replacing some foods. When we arrived at the steam table at 12:45 we found bones only in the pans meant to hold the ribs. Also please remember these are Caribbean Islands and sun is strong, lots of heavy duty sunscreen and fluids. We witnessed a few people suffering the effects. Couple of other things to note: the ocean between the northeast and Bermuda is not as smooth as the Caribbean and with the pace of travel it can be rocky. Plan ahead. We really felt a lot of swaying and vibration in this ship. After we returned I checked on my credit card used on the ship and noted that each day a hold was put on for a percentage of my on board spending, I placed a call to cruise line to confirm my final charges. I was being charged almost $10 more then what I was expecting. The rep reviewed my charges with me and low and behold we were being charged for a mini bar item last minute. We never used the mini bar in the room the entire trip. I find it suspicious that this was tacked on last minute and would have gone unnoticed had I not called. Imagine the windfall to the cruise line if each room added an additional $10 charge for not used items. Beware, it may behoove you to make the call on the Monday you return.

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A bit of background about us: Couple 36 + 40yrs old. Celebrating 4th wedding anniversary. In dire need of a vacation. Have traveled on Norwegian, Carnival, Costa and also Cunard. This was our first time on RCL. Probably not our last. We pick our cruises based mainly on timing. Price and itinerary always a factor too, however we choose this ship because of the dates. Bayonne was convenient since we live in Pennsylvania. However having sailed from Manhattan and Red Hook Brooklyn, I'd say Bayonne was my least favorite. Parking was cheaper here than the other ports, but the check in process here was a bit messy. We arrived at the parking lot at 1pm. Arrived to a long line of people. Thought coming this late would avoid the lines...Next time I'd plan to arrive at 2pm. It took over an hour to check in, get on the little shuttle bus and get onto the ship. Nothing horrible, but my suggestion, aim for 2pm arrival. Ship was scheduled to depart at 4pm. We actually left port closer to 430. My suggestions: Get early dinner seating. This way you can see the 2nd seating show, rather than have to go to the show prior to dinner, and then left with not much to do in the evenings. Prior to traveling we were given late dinner. When we boarded we went straight to the Maitre d and had it changed. Glad we did. Don't bring your lap top. It will not work in your room. We paid the Wifi package, only to find out we could not access internet in our room. Was told it was not a "hot spot" luckily for us we were on the 8th floor and very close to the internet cafe. Normally when I read reviews and see people complaining about the internet I think what is wrong with you, you are on vacation. However, as a business owner, it is important that we stay connected. In my previous cruises, even Carnival, they had Wifi access in the room. For us, this was important. It might not be important to you. My suggestion, leave the lap top home, less to pack and rely on the 8th floor internet cafe. It was never crowded, however it was always slow connection. Skip Portofino. We prebooked for our anniversary. I wish we had saved the $40. We have done all the upscale restaurants on other ships. This was not worth it. Was told "no" when I asked for ice tea. Was told I can get that in the main dining room. I was surprised for $20pp I could not have an ice tea. There was no surf and turf on the menu. It was lobster night in the MDR, however we could not order lobster. The risotto which I had read so much about was OK. The best part was the table side Caesar salad. It was very good, but not worth the $40. I was disappointed. Make sure to see the Ice Show. This was fantastic. Best show on the entire cruise. Tickets are handed out (free) on day 2. Make sure you get some. We actually forget and luckily our table mates picked up a few extra. They had been told by family who did this cruise that the tickets go fast. I was so happy they thought of us. I was really impressed by the show. (bring a sweater!) Go to Maho Beach on St. Martin. See the airplanes overhead. This was amazing to see, and the beach, although quite small, was beautiful. If adventurous, do the Zip Line on Labadee. My husband loved it. On San Juan, walk to San Cristobal. It is close enough, a bit of a hill, but surely walk able. This was a wonderful old castle/fort with a lot of charm and great views over the coast. Since you only have 3-4 hours in port, spent it in one place and don't be rushed. It will be hot and humid. Buy or bring some water. Wear a hat! If you have an Iphone you can use it in San Juan to call/text the USA. No roaming charges. It was nice to call home mid-cruise and simply check in. In Bermuda we stayed at Kings Wharf area. Took 2-3 hours exploring the fort and seas side town and ended with an hour of shopping. Very expensive. Overall RCL was a good choice for us. Although from the NYC area they tend to me more expensive than Norwegian or Carnival, for this trip we enjoyed ourselves. The public bathrooms were always clean. The staff was overall very pleasant and helpful. There were always chairs by the pool, and if you looked hard, even in the Solarium area! We did self disembark. We were called by 745am, off the ship at 8am and in our car by 815am. That was the quickest we have ever gotten off and through customs. PS: We read a lot about the "foul" smell on this ship. We never experienced it ourselves. Although it is not the newest ship out there, and perhaps most of the rugs need to be replaced, it was a good relaxing trip, exactly what we needed. Bon Voyage!

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This is our second trip on the Explorer in the last 8 months. 9 days to New England in September was very good; we needed a quick get-a-way, so 5 days to Bermuda was perfect. One of the best parts was leaving from Bayonne, NJ - we were able to drive there (parking is very convenient, but quite expensive at $19 per day payable in advance) no airplane hassles with liquids, baggage, weight, delays, etc.! But watch out for the cruise line's direction to the pier - I have called and informed them that the left turn off of route 440 south that they mention does not exist. They promised to update the directions. The Explorer is a great ship. What's really helpful is all of the drawer and shelf space in our cabin(65xx). With all we brought, there was plenty of extra room. Actually a much better layout than we found on the Oasis this past January. Several of the waiters actually recognized us. Very friendly staff. Dining room food was as expected, while Portofino's was terrific. The Windjammer was disappointing for breakfast buffet: Although made to order omelets were great, prepared food, such as pancakes, waffles, etc were found to be cold and mushy. At lunch, Windjammer hot dogs and burgers were often cold, as were the rolls. I mentioned this in my post cruise survey, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Entertainment and cruise director were great. Public areas terrific. Old cabin TVs showed their age, but we rarely used the TV, other than to review our account, or get sports scores on ESPN. No reason not to go on Explorer again.

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Love Bermuda. This was the second time we cruised there. The first was with Norwegian. You must rent scooters! Be careful - if you are really nervous about it, it will probably not be a great experience. I have to say my husband is a "foodie". He could not say the food was bad - it wasn't - but we could not help but compare the ship to Disney and Norwegian. The Explorer did not have enough "spots" that food was available. The other ships we have been on had food counters right outside on the pool deck - plus alot of variety. Very convenient to grab something without having to go inside. The only other spot on the Explorer to get food quick, other than the buffet, was a very small cafe in the promenade area. This blew my mind how small it was for the amount of people on this ship! They served pizza and small sandwiches, and a few cake like desserts. The same line that gets formed for this area is the same line for Starbucks coffee (not free) and Ben n Jerrys icecream (not free). Might I add that there is only one person working the coffee and the icecream! Horrible set up. Although the ship was very pretty - I cannot help but be annoyed by this promenade area. They love: to set large tables of merchandise along the center for sale, having live bands playing, and plan large crazy party events. This adds up to many people stopping to look, buy, listen, dance, etc. therefore blocking any possible walkway so you can get to your destination! It is VERY annoying! Try going to any bar or shop when one of their parties are going on is almost impossible. Really not fair to a passenger that really did not want to experience that particular event - or maybe really needs to get to the store for a necessity item. I do want to add that I did hear that some of these events are supposed to be outside - but when the weather is not great, this is where they have them. Not a great solution - sorry.

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This cruise to Bermuda was my 3rd one, my BF's second time to the island. We made these plans at the last minute as we were trying to find a vacation which wasn't lasting a full week for various personal reasons and which would fit our budget. When this cruise showed up with a discount for NJ residents and there was still superior balconies left 3 weeks before departure, we grabbed it. Having never sailed on RCI before, we depended on the many reviews on Cruise Critic and my travel agents advice (who happens to be my sister) as to whether or not the Explorer would suit us. Overall, it seemed to be ok although perhaps we had a few concerns based on what we'd read. We just got back this morning so everything is very fresh in my head and I'll go through each point to comment on everything one by one. EMBARKATION: Getting on the boat/through customs went rather smoothly. We arrived with plenty of time to spare, having learned a lesson the last time we sailed when we misread the documents and had to rush to the pier (my fault!). We live rather close to Cape Liberty, it only took about 1/2 an hour taxi ride over and check-in took less than 45 minutes before we were on the boat and in our cabin. Everyone involved were pleasant and professional. The lines looked long but moved quite fast. Some people have complained about the facility but honestly, who cares what the port building looks like? It's not bad at all and you're only there a short while before shuttle buses whisk you to the boat. I have no complaints about this process at all. PUBLIC ROOMS: The ship, as others have said, is quite lovely even though it's older. It's kept in good repair overall. I didn't notice anything that stood out anywhere that made it look worn or tired in the public areas - nor did it look particularly dated either. The ship is very easy to navigate; much better than the last NCL boat we were on. Loved the fact there was an outside promenade to walk around! We missed this on NCL's "Epic" incredibly. CABIN: We were in a superior ocean view balcony stateroom, #7378 starboard, very far aft but not an aft room. While not the most up-to-date in appearance by modern standards, it was well kept, had adequate storage, the bathroom was fine (other than the ring around the toilet bowl which certainly was from years of scrubbing - that toilet could use being replaced). The bed was comfortable - which was a big concern of mine. We requested extra pillows, including a specialty pillow because I have neck problems. Our room attendant; "Dewey" (Dui?) was fantastic! He went over and beyond the call of duty to the point of even returning our pool towels for us. I swear he was the only person on that boat who knew what he was doing ALL the time (we tipped him extra - as we had pre-paid our tips due to my time dining). The refrigerator was abysmal as many had mentioned. We had Dewey empty it for us, and we even at some point unplugged it because it wasn't keeping anything cold at all and was making odd noises. Anyway, we were very pleased with the room - it was close enough to the elevator but far enough not to be a problem, and we liked that we were at a part of the ship near the restaurants so we didn't have to walk all the way forward for meals. For sure, one of our favorite cabins of all the times we've cruised. FITNESS/RECREATION: We only used the mini-golf, which was actually a lot of fun. We're not sports/fitness oriented so it was a nice diversion to have on the boat. We would have used the ping pong tables but it was pretty windy to be chasing little balls around the deck lol. ENRICHMENT: I suppose them mean lectures and such? This seemed lacking to us. Towel folding, wine tastings and the same exact art auctions on every other boat aren't exactly what I have in mind for this category. I think they could do better in this regard. RATES: Typical of all other cruises I've been on for drinks, etc. However, I did feel ripped off by the money I spent on my juice package since I was unable to keep said juice cold in my refrigerator. Those juice bottles are large. I never drink an entire one in one sitting; I was using them to take my medications in the evening/morning. By not being able to keep them chilled I had to toss out half a bottle each time. What a waste of money. Next time I'll suck it up and take the walk to get the free ice tea instead. DINING: Awful. This is where RCI needs to really do some serious work. I have SO many complaints about the food and food service. Let me preface this by saying that I am a serious home cook. I know food very well. I am offended when restaurants try and pass of inferior quality product to their patrons or do "bait and switches" on you. Or when they just don't even try. Or when the service isn't checking plates before they go out to the floor. I don't like being lied to by wait staff. And I especially dislike being told I'm wrong about something when it's obvious that I'm right. I, am their worst nightmare and I am vocal about it. Two examples. Fisherman's Platter night. First, the lobster and shrimp is under cooked - practically raw in fact. On my plate, is an empty headed shrimp, and only 3 or them for that matter. There is no broccoli as mentioned on the menu, carrots instead; which I dislike. Additionally, I had ordered an order of an Indian dish as a side for my BF and I to share, a chickpea curry which came with a crisp peppery crack-like accompaniment called a "Papadam" to scoop up the curry. Instead, they give me a piece of pita bread. First I call over the head waiter, who tells me they are a) The broccoli was of poor quality, so they are substituting carrots and oh didn't my waiter tell me this? and b) sorry for the headless shrimp, he'll get me more and c) he'll get the papadam. He comes back with new shrimp, still under cooked. So, I called over the maitre d' (who, had already gotten to known us a prior evening due to a terribly cooked pasta dish that was literally like glue and an over cooked fish dish which was like shoe leather). He tells us a) there WAS broccoli, just not a lot of it and the waiter should have given me the choice of that OR carrots b) he's very sorry about the seafood being undercooked and thanked me for telling him as he needs to know these things and c) he rolled his eyes basically insinuating that many of the wait staff don't know the difference between a papadam and a pita bread. I had a long conversation with him, impressing on him that every meal we'd had in the main dining room was problematic, had to be returned and re-done. This continued for the whole trip. "Risotto" that wasn't risotto (you can not call a dish made from regular rice risotto!) for instance. Even dinner in Portofino had problems; with them not understanding that we wanted a pasta course NOT a pasta side dish (which they expected us to eat from the middle of the table with just forks and no dishes, like we're doing a rendition of "Lady and The Tramp" or something) and then taking away our main dish and promising we would get a fresh one but sending back the original lamb chop and steak that they had sitting under heat lamps for 15 minutes drying out and getting cold (the plates were hot, the food, cold). We told them such and the damn waiter kept insisting we, were wrong which utterly infuriated us. BTW, I also do not need every waiter/waitress to tell me where they are from and then proceed to read me the menu. I could spend paragraphs complaining and moaning about this and all else but I'll stop now. You get the drift. How anyone can think the food is acceptable is beyond me. One more thing. I really disliked the way they handle their My Time Dining. On NCL, you could always be assured that no matter what time you got to the dining room, you could get a table if you are a couple looking for a table for two. There are very few of those and there are NONE near windows; which you would think most couples out for a romantic dinner would like. We had a 7:45pm set time but never wanted to go that late. Every time we tried to change it, we were told there wasn't anything available and it was only under us really pressing the issue that we were ever able to get it slightly earlier. One evening I had a headache, and really couldn't wait that late and explained this to them and they just kept on saying to me "oh you can sit with a larger group and we can seat you now" and I don't know how many times I had to say to them "No, I'm not well, I can't be with people at all now" before they finally got it through their heads that I honestly wasn't in the frame of mind to be social. SPECIALTY DINING: They need more of this on board. Portofino, food is good but services spotty. Loved having Johnny Rockets as an option since the MDR was so awful. Starbucks was well appreciated but it isn't exactly a full service store; can't get iced Tazo teas for instance as an example. The new expanded beer menu was great - this was a wonderful upgrade on the part of RCI but I don't understand why they don't serve some nuts/pretzels or something when sitting at the bars. Drinking, without putting something in your stomach really isn't such a good idea. ENTERTAINMENT: We only went to the ice show which was spectacular and really should not be missed. Most types of entertainment aren't really our cup of tea and others we were either in the middle of dinners or were at other inopportune times for us. A couple we met during one of the shore tours mentioned a jazz ensemble that we wanted to see but for the life of us we could not remember where they were playing and it was not written in the Cruise Compass. We noticed that the Compass frequently had errors in it, which I brought to their attention. SERVICE: Overall, service is good. Even where I had problems it wasn't so much that the service was poor, it was that they were somehow "over-trying" to the point where it was too much and therefore came off as cheesy. I don't want waiters being overly friendly, don't want them touching me or sounding like they are reading from a script. I want them to actually listen to what I'm saying and if they don't understand me, to please let me know they don't understand so that they will not bring me the wrong thing and have to waste food for instance which just aggravates me and causes delayed service as well. I want honesty from them. If I ask if something is fresh or ripe I expect them to tell me the truth, not to smile and say "yes" so I don't have to get pissy if I receive stale bagels and under-ripe melon (which happened frequently - where on earth is the ripe fruit on this ship?). DEBARKATION: Started out fine. Went to Deck 5, the Main Dining Room and only had to wait a few minutes before they called our number to be able to leave the ship. But from there? What, a nightmare. Getting to Deck 1 you were suddenly squashed by the elevators as more packs of people were coming out of the elevators. The new people getting out tried to cut in line (line? what line?) from the people who were already waiting to move out for many minutes. Patience was wearing very thin down there. We easily were in that small space between elevators for 15 minutes with more and more people being allowed down there. It was insane. Apparently they were only moving out people in groups through the gangway in amounts that could fit into 1 shuttle bus at a time over to immigration. Once out of the ship, it moved quickly at least but they really need to find a way to get that other part working more efficiently. If there was some kind of emergency, it would be a disaster down there - or I could even see a fight breaking out with patience wearing thin between people. There are some who do not tolerate line cutters very well. Anyway, getting our luggage was very quick, and customs just as fast. Got a cab pronto and in half and hour we were home. Not too bad. SHORE EXCURSIONS: Sort of the usual found everywhere. We took a scenic tour of the island which was quite nice. I'd seen everything on it before but my BF had not but I was fine with that. The tour guide was somewhat boring unfortunately but since I already knew everything it was a moot point for me. The 2nd day we went to Horseshoe Bay for a few hours by shuttle bus. The weather was gorgeous albeit a bit cool for swimming (BF went anyway). The beach is full service and I highly recommend it. VALUE FOR MONEY: Pretty good considering what we spent. I would have felt better about it if the food had been better. We didn't eat in the MDR but 2 nights, lunch only once and walked out on it, and breakfast was just a sad affair every morning (pre-made scrambled eggs anyone?). OVERALL I might try RCI again but would do research next time. I think we need a more full service ship than The Explorer, one with a lot more dining options on it. We don't mind paying extra for meals if it assures better food.

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